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Forth Sector Job Evaluation Staff Consultation Survey, June 2009

This survey has been developed by the Job Evaluation Panel, which consists of Board, staff and external members.

The purpose of this survey is to find out your views on Forth Sector’s proposed salary structure. This is the second stage of staff consultation. The first stage involved asking for your comments on the approach to salaries in general. Thank you so much for your feedback which has helped to inform and move the process forward.

Some of the comments and suggestions you made cannot be dealt with in this process, for example, general terms and conditions. Where appropriate, these have been passed to the Board, who will respond accordingly.

Your comments and suggestions have been taken onboard by the Job Evaluation Panel who has produced a more detailed proposal for you to consider. Details of this proposal are shown below. Please read this and then fill in the questionnaire.

The Board asked the Job Evaluation Panel to come up with an appropriate structure for salaries in Forth Sector. They were asked to produce a proposed structure which is:

• Fair and transparent
• Fits our values
• Promotes and rewards competency
• Promotes learning
• Motivates
• Flexible
• Affordable
• Simple and easy to understand and administer
• Can be sustained into the future.

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The Proposal in Outline

The basics:
• For each post there will be a Job Description (JD) and Person Specification (PS)
• JDs and PSs will be produced whenever a new job is created or there is a substantive change in role or responsibilities.
• Each post will be scored based on set criteria using the JD & PS, using an agreed formula (the score)
• Each unique post will have a set salary range, based on the score and an assessment of market remuneration data (the market rate for the job)
• Performance levels will be linked to a specific salary in the range. These will be determined in advance and not be negotiable.
• Performance is defined as the ability of an individual to demonstrate that they have the knowledge, skills and experience to fulfil the requirements of their job description, and that these are being applied.
• Moving to a higher performance level, hence salary level within the range, is based on performance and proving achievement of competencies.
• There will be no annual salary increase to reward length of service.
• The organisation would seek to offer a cost of living rise annually. This would be determined by the Board and based of the organisation’s ability to make an award.
• The current bonus scheme (part of the ‘Gainsharing’ scheme) would remain in place but would be reviewed by the Board and is not part of the job evaluation review process.
• Each post would have 3 performance levels: the first being a ‘foundation’ level, the second being a ‘performing’ level, the third an ‘exceeding’ level.
• ‘Performing’ would mean demonstrating that the requirements of the job description were met.
• ‘Exceeding’ would mean demonstrating that the requirements of the job description were being exceeded.

Moving in Performance Levels:
• Competencies required for each post would be established using the Job Description and Person Specification.
• An agreed system to assess an individual’s performance would be introduced. This would be linked to induction, supervision and appraisal. The system would be agreed with staff.
• Staff would be given training to assist them in meeting or exceeding the required competencies and would be encouraged to engage in self development.
• Performance would be reviewed by the line manager annually with the staff member at appraisal.
• In circumstances where performance levels could be shown in supervision and appraisal to have slipped below ‘exceeding’ level (for those staff already awarded the increment), the increment could be removed and the salary level returned to the ‘performing’ level. This would not be a disciplinary situation.
• An appeal process will be set up to allow staff to appeal a performance level decision.

New Employees / New Roles for Current Employees:
• It would be assumed that a new member of staff joining the organisation would not immediately have the level of competency required to fulfil the job description (typically because they lack specific experience of the job and the organisation). Therefore they would be engaged at the first ‘foundation’ level and would then need to demonstrate his/her competences to move up.
• Current staff moving into a new role & job description within the organisation would also at first be engaged at the ‘foundation’ level and would then need to demonstrate his/her competencies to move up.
• Using continuous assessment through supervision, combined with a probationary review, a new staff member or current staff member in a new job within the organisation would move up to the ‘performing’ rate as soon as they demonstrate an acceptable level of competency. Although, they would be expected to meet this level within a year of commencement and preferably earlier.

Changes / Review:
• A policy and procedure will be put in place to allow for changes in job descriptions and/or responsibilities. Depending on the changes, this will allow a review of the competencies needed and the salary range/performance levels for this post.
• In rare cases, a special responsibility allowance could be introduced where, at the discretion of the Head of a Division with agreement of the Chief Executive, up to 10% of salary could be awarded for a period of up to one year where a member of staff took on temporary responsibilities beyond their Job Description (for example acting up).
• Beyond this time it would be assumed that the additional responsibilities became permanent and the Job Description and grade would be reassessed.
• If no changes in job descriptions and/or responsibilities take place over a three year period, then an automatic review of the job description/performance levels and will take place.
• The entire system will be put in place for 5 years with a review starting in the middle of the 5th year.

STOP & READ BEFORE HITTING CONTINUE: If you want to have this entire proposal in full to reference as you answer the survery, PRINT now. This can be done by typing CONTROL + P and return. Do not hit continue until you have the checked to see if it printed.

If you do not need a print out, please hit continue now.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions regarding this survey.